Tater tots can be one of the absolute best sides to serve with breakfast or any meal. The problem is, they are really difficult to cook in an oven or microwave and get restaurant-quality crispiness. That’s where an air fryer comes to the rescue.
However, the problem is most frozen tater tot brands only include cooking directions for an oven or microwave, and not an air fryer. That’s why we’ve done the research to determine the best temperature and time to cook. If you are going to be cooking tater tots in an air fryer, we recommend following the directions below for perfect air fryer tots.
How To Cook Frozen Tater Tots In Air Fryer
Not everyone is experienced with an air fryer and many often question how to cook tater tots in an air fryer and how long do you cook frozen tater tots in an air fryer. Whether your tots are frozen or thawed, you can use the instructions below.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400ºf. Some air fryers do not require preheating, if yours does not, just ensure it has reached cooking temp before moving to step 2.
- Spray the tater tots with a cooking spray, such as avocado oil spray. The oil helps add an extra level of crispiness to the tots in the end. Season with salt and toss to coat.
- Cook tots for 15 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes or so to produce an even fry. Cook the tots until crisp and golden brown.
- If 15 minutes does not produce tots to the crispiness of your liking, add some time and cook until crisp.
- Serve immediately before they get cold!
How To Reheat Tater Tots
If your tots get cold or if you have leftovers you’d like to save, they can easily be resurrected from a soggy state. All you need to do is put the tots back in the air fryer and heat for 2-3 minutes to reheat them. They should quickly become crispy again.
How Are Tater Tots Made
Tater Tots are made from shredded potato, formed into small cylindrical shapes and deep fried. Depending on the brand, they may also have starches or flours added into them to act as an additional binding agent.
Who Invented Tater Tots
Tater Tots were created by Ore-ida in 1953 by their founders F. Nephi Grigg and Golden Grigg. They were not available for sale until 1956.
When Were Tater Tots Invented
Looking for a solution for what to do with the scraps from the french fries they were making, Ore-ida got together in a lab to brainstorm. Within that lab, tater tots were created in 1953 and first available for sale commercially in 1956.
Are Tater Tots Gluten Free
You would think tater tots are naturally gluten-free since they are mostly made from shredded potatoes. However, there are actually a lot of tater tot recipes that include wheat flour and other gluten derivatives. As with all items, be sure to read the ingredients if you are celiac or gluten-sensitive.
Are Tater Tots Vegan
Tater tots are usually vegan as there are not any animal products utilized in their making. As long as you pay close attention to the oil that the tots are sprayed with in the air fryer and the seasonings you use on them, most tater tots are classified as vegan.
Tater Tot Alternatives
In recent history, companies have started to create tater tot alternatives from other vegetables. Tots made of broccoli, carrots and cauliflower can now be found in many frozen food aisles. Many of these are made in a similar fashion to tater tots – by shredding them, but they also have other non-vegetable derivatives such as corn starch, baking soda and flour added. While not necessarily an alternative, sweet potato tots are also a popular option.
National Tater Tots Day
National Tater Tot Day is February 2nd.
Who Makes The Best Tater Tots
Interestingly, the term Tater Tot is trademarked by the brand Ore-ida, so they are the only company that can actually call them that on their packaging. Other brands typically use potato puffs or tater puffs. However, to the general consumer, they’re all called tater tots. Therefore, our favorite tater tots to cook in an air fryer are Ore-ida brand or Alexia brand.
